


Life, like a thread.

by MaVheraan



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-01-07
Packaged: 2018-09-15 11:16:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9232463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaVheraan/pseuds/MaVheraan
Summary: Roughly a month after Cullen opens up to his Love (the Inquisitor), about his ongoing battle with lyrium. The Inquisitor encourages him to continue working his way off the substance, and with his constant support and watchful eye of after opening up about it- he is making steady progress.. until one late afternoon when the pair are spending quality time together, discussing troop movements in his office- things take a turn for the worse.





	

Maxwell was watching Cullen intently, staring at the man’s golden eyes as he scanned the documents the pair had just moved onto discussing. He saw a hint of exhaustion- just beginning to slip into his face in the way of a purple discoloration beneath his golden eyes, and a bloodshot quality about them.

He hasn’t been sleeping well. Maxwell thought to himself, It’s been almost a week of him laying down for no more than 3-4 hours, then getting up. A frown crept onto Maxwell’s features, he was worried for his Love.. things had been going very well in regards to weaning Cullen off the lyrium progressively. It’s the natural way of things for there to be a low, right? He hasn’t expressed anything to me.. but I can tell. Maxwell considered to himself, trying to find some silver lining that would help him ease his features back into something less than a grimace.

He must not have done a very good job, because no sooner had he refocused his attention on Cullen- thinking he’d accomplished it, had the man without any prompting looked up at him with worry in his eyes.

“Maxwell, what’s wrong Love?” he asked, creases forming in the corners of his eyes from the concerned expression. He shifted in his chair, moving to place the document back on his desk so he could focus on the new priority- his Lover’s frown. He reached forward to brush his hand against Maxwell’s leg, who was sitting on the corner of the desk.  
Maxwell was trying to conceal a mix of dismay, and amusement. Cullen, for how great a Commander he was, could not retain focus on anything other than Maxwell if he got even the slightest sense that there was anything wrong with him.

He met his Commander’s gaze, pushing himself to ease his expression further so he could give Cullen a convincing smile. “Nothing is wrong, Love, was just caught in my thoughts- that’s all.” he cooed, flashing his most endearing smile, and reaching to grab Cullen’s hand.

“Mmm, you know better.” Cullen said, furrowing his brow as he gave Maxwell’s hand a insistent squeeze. “I have you memorized front to back, just as well.. If not better than I do the Chant of Light.” brow still furrowed, but now paired with a toothy grin as he moved to stand.

“Hmph, I know not what you mean Commander.” Maxwell pressed, huffing, but the glint in his eyes did little to reinforce his tone. Now once again watching the Commander’s golden eyes as he stood. Cullen was now leaning on the desk, one hand still holding Maxwell’s and the other being rested on leisurely.

“Maxwell,” Cullen said, working up his gruff Commander voice- as Maxwell so lovingly referred to it.. “you’re far too cheeky to sell that nonchalant attitude. So, you can either willingly tell me what thought it was that caused those handsome lips of yours to form a frown- or I can make you tell me.” he asserted, now mirroring the glint in Maxwell’s eyes, who was trying to remain composed and defiant in the face of his Lover’s dominant side- despite having already accepted that Cullen would most certainly be resorting to drastic measures in order to get him to crack.

Maxwell gave him the best steely faced, brow furrowed, obstinate look he could muster and heaved- “Sorry, Commander, I still haven’t a clue what it is you’re speaking of!”, features shifting to allow a faint playfulness to dance across them.

Cullen eyed him, a teasing sort of pity present in their golden depths. “That is truly a shame,” he sighed, “I’d hoped there would be no need to employ my most radical methods for the acquiring the information inside that head of yours.” Cullen, still grinning, had straightened himself so he could stand to tower over his Love. Shaking his head, and covering his eyes with his hand- he spared Maxwell one final glance as he peaked through his fingers.

Maxwell was nearly vibrating with anticipation, as he gave the Commander a daring smirk.. knowing exactly what unfortunate fate was about to befall him. And he secretly couldn’t wait for the man to lunge.

Just as Maxwell had thought it, he saw Cullen tense, and like lightning the man had sprung forward towards him. Though, just as Cullen’s hands landed with a solid thump and a creaking of the desk where Maxwell had sat- the Mage had darted off the desk and was making his way for the ladder to his Love’s loft.

“Tis tis, Cully! Is that the best they taught you in training! I was up before you moved, my Lion!” he howled, gaze locked on the ladder, expecting Cullen to be right on his heels.  
Maxwell was stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a racking cough, not far behind him. He spun on his heel, instincts rushing to panic- but mind holding firm; Cullen. Maxwell scanned for Cullen, and locked onto the image of his Lover’s crumpled torso up on his desk.. still coughing violently.

He was at his side in an instant, hand firm on Cullen’s right arm, just as the coughs subsided. “Cullen!” he yelled, voice threatening to catch in his throat. The man began to move, and Maxwell thought he was recovering from the fit.. but found himself catching him as the Man slid over the edge of the desk and went to drop onto the floor. Maxwell was trembling, barely reacting quickly enough to catch the Commander and ease him, facing upwards, onto the floor.

“CULLEN!” Maxwell screamed, panic now pressing firmly on the front of his mind.. desperately trying to rouse the man, but Cullen was not breathing. I have to act, he thought to himself, limbs already beginning to move.

Maxwell’s hands moved immediately to Cullen’s chest. Eyes flaring, turning silver- magic rushing vigorously into being at the sudden evocation. Audite me qui fecit eum, et audi now- immittere in hac vita, et votum suum, the proper incantation flooding into his mind. “Heed me Maker, listen now- instill in him his life and vow.” Maxwell roared, hands pressing into Cullen’s chest.. a silver aura pooling around them.

Maxwell’s mind was racing, spell simultaneously being created and pushed forth- desperation tinting his efforts to get Cullen to stabilize.

“Maker, damn it all!” Maxwell bellowed, eyes blooming in color to nearly a white- pulling forth and filling himself up with even more magic. He shifted his hands, keeping one on Cullen’s chest and moving the other the rest above his throat. “This is not it, DAMMIT- I knew something was wrong!” liquid was flowing down Maxwell’s face, but instead of tears it was a molten silver- he was pushing his limits on how much energy he could pull forth into his body.

Maxwell fought to see through the liquid pooling in his eyes, holding onto his own consciousness as he put everything he had into getting Cullen to recover. “I can’t lose you, Maker knows I can’t, please Cullen- PLEASE, I love you.” Maxwell sobbed, hands flaring to a blinding radiance that matched his eyes as the words dripped from his lips.

As if the Maker had heard his plea, Cullen’s chest bucked- and a vehement gasp rushed from his throat. Golden eyes shooting open, the man bolted upright, knocking Maxwell’s hands off and causing his Lover to tumble backwards onto his ass from being so suddenly startled.

Cullen grasped his chest and coughed mercilessly, trying to properly breathe once again. Maxwell recovered from the shock and spill backwards, and rushed forwards to the man’s side- hand instinctively reaching to rub his back.

Cullen’s breathing steadied, and he slowly regained a calm, consistent rhythm. He turned his head to look at his Love, eyes bewildered and afraid.. he reached for Maxwell’s free hand and clutched it in his.

“Maker breath,” he yelped, “I w-was darting after you.. and then everything turned upside down and I was in the dark.” He tightened his grip on Maxwell’s hand, who had now moved to sit directly against Cullen- arm wrapped around his Commander, and hand intertwined with the man’s.. He nodded at the statement.

“You collapsed onto the table when you lunged for me, a coughing fit came over you- and as I rushed to help you nearly tumbled onto the floor. You were barely breathing and were entirely unresponsive..” Maxwell stated, voice shaky as he tried to stop his lips from quivering. Cullen was fighting back tears, and moved to hold the man- “I rushed to invoke as much healing magic as I could- but it’s not my expertise.. I called more of my it into my body than I ever have before, it started to seep from my eyes as tears fell when I thought I’d lost you.” the recollection came as he clung to his Lion, he stated it both for Cullen and himself- it was all a blur on Maxwell’s end too.

“I begged the Maker to bring you back to me,” Maxwell closed his eyes, and let out a deep sigh, “And he did, he brought you back to me.” he concluded.

Cullen fought back a sob, but it escaped his throat despite his efforts- “M-Maker, M-Maxwell I’m sorry- I didn’t realize I was so exhausted from the l-lack of sleep.. on top of the withdrawal!” he wept.. “B-But you, you brought me back to you. It was your magic that s-saved my life, I-I’m so sorry.” tears were flowing down both of their cheeks, Maxwell’s had returned to a normal color and he squeezed the Commander tightly.

“I l-love you, Cully- I will never let this happen to you again. The worst has to be over with now.” Maxwell rasped, fingers running through the man’s hair.

“I love you too, Maxwell- I won’t ever let this happen again. I swear it.” he says, pulling out of the embrace and cupping the Mage’s face in his hands- “With you by my side, the worst has passed us and the best is yet to come.” Cullen booms, pulling on his gruff Commander voice as if demanding the heavens of it’s validity.. and leaning in to press the pair’s foreheads together.

Maxwell reached up to cup Cullen’s face in his own hands, foreheads still together- he shifts to kiss his Love’s lips. Cullen grinning as he returns the kiss with ferocity, toppling the pair over onto the floor- Maxwell laying partially on beneath him. He moves Maxwell’s hands from his face, only to pin them to the ground and shift his weight to ensure he cannot wiggle free of him.

“Maker’s Breath, I know I should NOT be exerting myself.. but I still need to interrogate you for keeping your concern from me, Trevelyan. It cannot wait.” he growls, Maxwell giggling furiously as the man dives down to plant a furious array of slobbery kisses and raspberries all over his Love’s neck.

Maxwell’s giddy cries of joy and dismay fill the office, coupled by Cullen’s howling of “TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW, MAGE!” and “THERE MUST BE SOMETHING, TELL ME!” The pair become lost in their howls of laughter, and flailing limbs.


End file.
